Off-Screen Content

18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: 10 Survival Techniques

Oh, parents – I’m so sorry to have to break this news. After three (yes, THREE) sleep regressions, you’re not done yet. 🙁 And the 18 month sleep regression? Yeah…it’s one of the worst!

BUT that doesn’t mean that you’re powerless in the face of the 18 month sleep regression – not at all! We’re always here for you, readers – even in the face of one of the toughest sleep regressions you’ll face.

18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: What It Looks Like

Basically, you’ll know you’re facing the 18 month sleep regression when your toddler, who was sleeping just fine, thankyouverymuch, is suddenly NOT sleeping so fine. You will probably see shorter and more erratic naps, more bedtime drama, increased night waking, and/or really early-morning wake-ups.

Since lists are nice, when you’re trying to troubleshoot, you can also be on the lookout for these signs:

Increased fussiness and crying (aka major crankiness!)

Changes in appetite

Extra clinginess and a need for more cuddle time

18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: Why It Happens

If you remember, the 8/9/10 month sleep regression was the result of a ‘perfect storm’ of circumstances – at that age, your baby’s mobility and physical skills were just exploding, which led to disrupted sleep. Well, 18 months presents another ‘perfect storm’ – only this time, it’s a perfect storm of discipline issues! At 18 months, your toddler is no doubt learning that she can say ‘no’ to mommy and daddy (and say it LOUDLY at that) – and that defiance most definitely carries over to bedtime. While this growing independence isn’t all bad, by any means (this independent streak is also what will prompt her to learn how to put on her own shoes, and feed herself with a spoon), but it can lead to way more battles of will over things like bedtime and nap time.

And here’s what’s SUPER tricky about this: these two elements (your toddler’s newfound sleeplessness and your toddler’s newfound stubbornness and defiance) can end up influencing each other. Your toddler’s willful behavior can lead him to refuse naps or to shriek stubbornly for you each time he wakes at night. And of course, the lack of sleep caused by this regression can make your little one cranky, which leads to more tantrums and temper fits. It can turn into a vicious cycle of over tiredness and tantrums.

No wonder so many of our clients with 18 month olds report feeling like they’re nearing their breaking point!

Of course, the 18 month regression isn’t just about behavior issues – there are other factors in play here, too:

Teething could be to blame. Around 18 months, children are cutting the 4 canine teeth as well as their first molars. This can cause discomfort that leads to disrupted sleep.

Separation anxiety is still an issue for toddlers at 18 months. Most babies begin experiencing separation anxiety around 7 or 8 months, and for most babies, the anxiety is strongest from 10-18 months. This can lead to disrupted sleep as well — your baby may resist naps because he doesn’t want to be away from you, or he may wake at night and become upset that you’re not in the room with him.

18 Month Old Toddler Sleep Regression: 10 Survival Techniques

For a quick, at-a-glance list of 10 tricks you can use to survive the 18 month regression – keep reading!

Try a sticker chart to increase bedtime and nap time cooperation. Stickers hold great weight with most toddlers, so try using them as an incentive to help your toddler cooperate at bedtime and at nap time.

Strengthen your bedtime routine, and give it a definitive end. Good bedtime routines are fairly short and VERY consistent. They also have a definite end – you might end with the same short song, or the same good night phrase. This is a strong signal to your toddler that it’s time for sleep.

Try a lovey. If you haven’t given your toddler a comfort object, or a lovey, yet, this is a great time to start. If your 18 month old has something to keep in bed that feels cozy and comforting, it can minimize how often he calls for you at night or at nap time.

Be prepared to offer extra naps (if she skips her usual ones) or an earlier bedtime. Part of the 18 month sleep regression involves fighting sleep (because what self-respecting toddler wants to sleep when she can play? ;)), so be ready to help your toddler compensate for missed sleep, in an effort to avoid over tiredness. (Just be sure that all naps are over by 6 p.m.).

Offer a bedtime snack. Sometimes, a legitimate growth spurt can overlap with the 18 month sleep regression, so offering a high-protein bedtime snack can help to ward off middle-of-the-night hunger. Just make sure to brush teeth after snack time, and before bed!

Offer a nightlight. By 18 months, your toddler may start having nighttime fears, so a very soft nightlight can provide a little reassurance.

Offer simple explanations. Your toddler obviously isn’t at the age yet where you can hold real conversations, but it can be helpful to give your toddler reasons for WHY he needs to go to bed and get enough sleep. Keep your explanations simple, of course, and avoid over-explaining yourself (remember, your toddler is the king/queen of “but why?”) – but some simple explanations can help defuse sleep time drama.

Don’t undo all your hard work. That is to say, if you’ve worked on sleep training, don’t go back to old sleep associations! Instead, comfort your toddler by doing mini-versions of whatever they find comforting. For instance, maybe hold your toddler when he wakes fussing, but hold him for a few minutes, instead of holding him all the way to sleep. Or lie down with him in his room, but be sure to leave before he falls asleep. This will provide comforting without creating new, bad sleep habits.

Create firm ‘will’ and ‘will not’ boundaries, and then reinforce them for your toddler. For example, if your toddler isn’t allowed to sleep in your bed, then be sure to reinforce that even in the midst of the 18 month sleep regression. If you’ve decided for yourself that when your toddler cries for you at night, you’re going to wait 5 minutes before going into her room, then stay consistent with that.

Be prepared to re-train, if necessary. Even small things, like a short cold, can throw off your child’s normally-great sleeping patterns. So it’s no wonder that a big sleep regression can do big damage! Don’t worry, though – you can get back on track. Give the regression a few weeks to sort itself out; at that point, if your toddler is still struggling with sleep, do some sleep training to get things back on track (trust me, it will most likely be a lot easier this time than it was the first time around!).

For more details on handling the 18 month sleep regression, check out our special members-only resources in our Member’s Area:

18 Month Sleep Regression Help That’s Guaranteed To Work

Toddler sleep problems are definitely solvable – but they can be TOUGH to solve on your own. So why not connect with one of our caring, compassionate sleep consultants, and get expert answers to your nap questions today?

Once you make your choice and purchase, you will immediately receive an e-mail with your Helpdesk login information. You’ll be able to login and start your Family Sleep History form right away – it’s that simple!

For those persistent toddler sleep struggles, check out The 5 Step System to Help Your Toddler Sleep. Using the same unique approach and practical tools for success, this e-book helps you and your toddler sleep through the night and enjoy a better daytime schedule.

Or, join our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, peer support, and more. It actually costs less to join than buying products separately! As a member, you’ll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part – members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!

How have you dealt with the 18 month old toddler sleep regression? Any tried-and-true survival techniques that we didn’t mention here? Share with us – we love hearing from you!

Need Baby and Toddler Sleep Help? We Have the Resources You Need!

If you are tired of wading through stacks of baby sleep books that just aren't working, if you are beyond exhausted and just can't solve your child's sleep problems on your own...than personalized sleep consulting is for you. Our team of expert consultants will create a Personalized Sleep Plan® just for your family and then support you through every step of implementing your plan. We encourage you to consider our personalized, one-on-one baby and toddler sleep consultation packages if you want to see real, meaningful results now. Your consultation package also includes ample follow-up help, designed to help you troubleshoot problems and tweak your plan as needed.

Learn More About The 5-Step SystemJoin our Members Area packed with exclusive content and resources: e-Books, assessments, detailed case studies, expert advice, and more. As a member, you'll also enjoy a weekly chat with an expert sleep consultant. And the best part - members receive 20% off all sleep consultation services!

Related Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

Paulinasays

Hi!!
My 17 mo sleeps through the night since he was like 10 months old but recently (the past two weeks) we’ve been strugling with the 18 MO sleep regression I think. He cries non stop when I leave the room and will only calm down if I go back in, sit by the crib and hold his hand until he’s almost sleep but not quite. Is that ok in order to survive this stage or am I creating new sleep associations ?
Before this, he would always (naps and bedtime) sleep on his own without complaining at all. I just put him in his crib, say nite nite and leave the room. Not anymore ?
I’ll appreciate your help! Thank you!!! your site has been a blessing to my family!!!

Hi @Paulina – Thanks for writing and I am sorry that you are struggling with the 18 month old toddler sleep regression at the moment! Since you are worried about creating new sleep associations, the best thing to keep in mind is to do the minimum amount of assistance needed. Surviving this stage is imperative, but working to have him fall asleep on his own – letting go of his hand before he is asleep – would be good if you can be aware and do just that!
Hope everything goes well! Please contact us if you need any assistance!

Some of these methods sound great for a single baby… but not so easy with twins. My twins just turned 17 months, and I think one of them is hitting the sleep regression. James is still sleeping through the night, but I’m lucky to get a few hours from David. Their schedule is too sleep 8pm-7:20am, but honestly maybe he sleeps 3-4 hours now?? He’s also very clingy/grumpy during the day. I can’t just let him cry it out all night, he’ll wake up his twin then I’ll have 2 grumps! Also, sometimes it’s affecting my 4 year olds bedtime routine because we usually play cars, then lay down and sing a song before bed.

@Heather – Thank you for sharing with us – you’re so right that sleep with twins can be more challenging to navigate. Believe it or not, many of the same methods work twins even if it means one method works for one and a different one for the other! Aye! Be sure to check out some of our posts dedicated to sleep with multiples while you’re on the site – here’s one you may find helpuful: https://www.babysleepsite.com/how-we-sleep/baby-wont-sleep-crib/ Thanks again for reading and sharing!

We are dealing with the 18- month sleep regression with a toddler who used to fall asleep independently and sleep pretty well. Now she’s fighting bedtime and has numerous wake ups which often leads us to bring her to our bed. We’ve tried cry it out to re-train but she will cry so hard to the point of vomiting. So after several nights of cleaning up vomit, we give up and continue with bad habits just so we can all sleep well. How do I over come this?

Hi Neta,
Thanks for your comment – I’m so sorry to hear that the 18 month sleep regression has hit you so hard! The first thing to do with a case like this would be to doublecheck she’s healthy – any possibility of an ear infection or something else that could be making it hard for her to sleep? If she is healthy, then we would next check her schedule, to make sure it’s age appropriate: https://www.babysleepsite.com/schedules/toddler-schedule/

I’m guessing we are right in the middle of this sleep regression and I have to say, I feel so sad we are back to square one. After 11 months, 2 sleep consultants and a pediatric sleep specialist, we landed on the Ferber method which worked in 3 night and my son was sleeping 7pm-5:30am consistently up until last week. Now he is scared to fall asleep alone so I have to stay in the room until he falls asleep and he wakes up around midnight screaming and after trying everything to console him in his room, I am now forced to bring him in bed with me because I am pregnant again and physically can’t stay up all right with him. Once in bed with me, he usually sleeps the rest of the night without a problem. He only wants me and will continue to scream with my husband. We tried to go back to the sleep training tonight but he screamed so much he threw up so I rocked him to sleep. I am not sure what else to do? Do we let this take its course for a few more weeks before trying the sleep training again?

Hi @Meghan, thank you for writing to us. I am so sorry to hear you are struggling with the 18 month regression. That is especially a lot to handle while pregnant. It sounds like you have a lot of information ready to use, so you may decide to wait a few weeks and then start over. It is a challenging balance to find to not establish any new habits that will stick beyond the regression though. Here is another peek into what may be going on inside and how to help manage: https://www.babysleepsite.com/sleep-training/baby-toddler-sleep-separation-anxiety/
If you need any more help, let us know and we are here for you! I hope things pass quickly!